Battery connector



Sept. 21, 1954 R. F. ZECHEL BATTERY CONNECTOR Filed March 19, 1

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Patented Sept. 21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY CONNECTOR Robert F. Zechel, Hamburg-Billstedt, Germany Application March 19, 1951, Serial No. 216,279

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a battery connector for securing conductors to the poles of an electric battery. The connector is particularly suited for traction batteries where easy removal of the battery for charging and cleaning is an important feature.

The known types of. battery connectors are open to the objection that they require fastening screws or similar'elements and special tools for loosening them. Furthermore, owing to the frequent outflow of acid, the parts forming the connector are contaminated, so that screws and nuts often cannot be loosened at all and the connector has to be knocked off.

These drawbacks are overcome by the invention according to which the connector comprises a connecting member adapted to be pushed on the connection pole and provided with springy ends and a clamping bow by means of which the springy ends of the connectingmember can be tensioned against each other in such a way that the conductor to be introduced between them and the connecting member itself are clamped to the battery pole. The connecting member with its springy ends is preferably .U-shaped and forms between its legs a wider portion adapted to the shape of the battery connection pole. On their sides facing each other the legs form a recess provided with abutments, projections, or the like for receiving and holding a conductor. The clamping bow comprises apart surrounding the legs of the connecting member on both sides and an elastic securing stirrup disposed thereon which when the connector is closed places itself around that part of the connecting member embracing the connection pole.

According to the invention, the connecting member is provided at the end of one leg with a laterally projecting bearing pivot for the clamping bow and at the end of the other leg with a dog or the like, both of these parts co-operating with the clamping bow for bracing the ends of the legs. The clamping bow is advantageously made of stainless acid-proof steel, and the connecting member consists of conductive material having an acid-proof coating, for instance chrome-plating or the like.

One embodiment of the invention is described in detail below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial view of a battery with connection pole and a connector arranged there- Fig. 2, a top view of the connector when closed; 56

Fig. 3, a side View of the connector when open and with the clamping bow removed;

Fig. 4, a sectional view of the connector; and

Fig. 5, a side View of the clamping bow.

A battery I, for instance a traction battery, is provided on its upper side with conical connection poles 2, so that the battery connector may be easily mounted on a pole 2 from above.

The connector according .to the invention comprises a U-shaped connecting member 3 having reinforced projecting legs 4, 5 and forming between them, in their rear part, a recess 6 conforming to the conical shape of the connection pole 2. Between them, the two members 4, 5 leave a narrow gap I and possess also an inside recess 8 for the introduction of a conductor 9. In order to securely hold the introduced conductor 9 when the connector is closed, the recess 3 is provided with staggered abutments Ill.

On its upper and lower parts the connecting member 3 is provided with bearing pivots I I and dogs I2 arranged in such manner that the leg 5 supports the pivots II and the leg 4 the dogs I2.

The connector arms are actuated by a clamping bow I3 shown in detail in Fig. 5. It possesses members I4 laterally grasping across the legs 4, 5 of the connecting member 3 and an upwardly extended springy securing stirrup I5. Each member I4 forms on its underside an open hook I6 embracing the bearing pivot II and a curved section I'I co-operating with the dog I2. The securing stirrup I5 has the same outline as the connecting member 3.

The clamping bow I3 is placed sideways on the connecting member 3 in a position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2, where the hooks I6 embrace the pivots II and the member 3 can be guided across the pole 2 from above. Simultaneously, the conductor 9 may be put in the recess 8. When the bow I3 is brought out of the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2 and into the position shown by solid lines, the curved sections I! pass behind the dogs I2. The curve is so chosen that during further tilting of the clamping bow I3 the dogs I2 together with the leg 4 are drawn together, that is, the legs 4, 5 approach each other, so that the connection pole in the recess 6 and the conductor 9 in the recess 8 are clamped.

In its final position the securing stirrup I5, owing to its springiness, moves over and .across the rear part of the connecting member 3, so that the clamping bow I3 is held in its final position. To remove the conductor 9 from the battery I it is only necessary to tip off the bow E3 by pressing back the securing stirrup l5. The dog I2 is thus released, and the legs 4, 5, by their inherent elasticity, automatically move into open position, whereupon the connector can be taken off from the connection pole 2 and the conductor 9 may be removed also if necessary.

To protect the parts of the connector against attacks of acid they are preferably madeof acidproof material or provided with an acid-proof coating by being chrome-plated or otherwise treated.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that What I claim is:

l. A battery post and cable connector comprising a unitary structure having spaced arms joined at one end to form a battery post clamp, the free end portions of the arms including a cable receiving chamber, a pair of projections extending in opposite directions from each of said arms in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cable receiving chamber; and a clamping member including a transverse portion, a resilient hook forming a part of said clamping member and intended for "embracing the back portion of said battery post clamp and a pair of holding plates connected to said transverse portion and located opposite each other, each holding plate being formed with a pair of notches therein, one pair of notches of each plate being in engagement with the projections on one of arms and turnable about said projections from a rest position where said other pair of notches is out of engagement with said projections on the said iother arm, to .a locking position where said other pair of notches engages said other projections and said resilient hook embracestheback portion-of saidbatterypost clamp, thereby moving said arms towards each other, when the conductor is located in the receiving chamber between said arms and the battery post is located in the said clamp, to tightly clamp the conductor and the battery post.

2. A connector for connecting a terminal post with a cable, comprising, in combination, a U-shaped springy clamping connector means composed of a bight portion having an inner cylindrical surface adapted to embrace a terminal post, and two spaced arm portions having oppositely arranged serrated clamping recesses adapted to embrace a cable; a pair of pivot pins extending in opposite direction from one of said arm portions; a pair of abutments projecting in opposite direction from the other arm portion, the axis of said pivot pin being parallel with said abutments and with the axis of said cylindrical inner surface; an actuating member including two parallel plates, each plate being formed with a cut-out, each cut-out having a hooked edge portion engaging one of said pivot pins for pivotal movement of said actuating memher, and also having an arcuate cam edge portion engaging said abutments so that said inner surface clamps :said terminal post, and said serrated recesses :clamping :said .cable when said actuating :member is pivoted in one direction to a clamping position and said cam edge portions slide on :said abutments; and a resilient locking hook member secured to .said :actuating member and embracing said tbight portion when said actua'ting member is :in .said clamping position so as to :lock :said actuating member and said connector means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,026 Walters July 14, 188 1,977,179 Fisch Oct. 16, 1934 l,980,'77 Benny Nov. 13, 1934 2,445,!946 Harper July 27, 1948 Van Squires July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 45 31 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1936 

